Buch lesen: «Double Exposure»

“Kate Cooper, where have you been all my life?” Hugh asked

“Right here.” Kate pulled her T-shirt over her head, tousling her short red curls. “Waiting to see what develops.” She tossed the shirt away. “That’s a photography joke.”

“I like it.” He liked more than the joke. He’d always thought black lace was the ultimate turn-on, but white lace had just become his favorite, especially when it cupped breasts as plump and inviting as Kate’s.

She unsnapped her jeans and pushed them down over her hips. Then she paused and glanced at him. “Would you like me to take it a little slower?”

“Maybe later. Right now I just want all that stuff to disappear. I’m dying over here.”

She smiled at him. “I know. When I was checking you out in the bathroom, you were looking…lumpy.” She stepped out of her jeans.

“Lumpy.” Not the most flattering way to describe his package.

“Lumpy is good.” Then Kate reached behind her back, unfastened her bra and let it slide down her arms.

Hugh moaned in total appreciation. “No, honey—” he watched hungrily as she tossed the bra aside “—that is good.”

Dear Reader,

One of the best things about writing a prequel for the COOPER’S CORNER continuity series is that it gave me a chance to go back to my Yankee roots. My family is originally from that area—in fact, my mother’s family still owns a beach cottage on the Connecticut coast. And because everything in New England is so close to everything else, that cottage is only a hop, skip and a jump from Newport, Rhode Island, the lovely waterfront town where this story takes place. Hugh and Kate, my hero and heroine, sure have a terrific (and really hot) time there. I hope you will, too.

This book also gave me a chance to try something new—writing about twins. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to be a twin, and this story line gave me a chance to play with the possibilities. And finally, if all of this wasn’t enough, I’ve had the pleasure of being tucked in between two of Temptation’s finest—Kristine Rolofson, starting off the series with a bang, and Jill Shalvis, delivering the dynamic conclusion (at least until the COOPER’S CORNER continuity series starts up in August).

So spend some time in New England. You’ll be glad you did.

P.S. For information about my upcoming releases, visit my Web site at www.vickilewisthompson.com.

Double Exposure
Vicki Lewis Thompson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For Kylie Michelle Thompson.

Welcome to the world, little girl.

Your mommy can let you read this book

when you’re older…say about thirty-five.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Prologue

WHAT HE WOULDN’T GIVE for a hot tub and an even hotter woman.

Hugh Armstrong battled the frigid waves churned up by the studio’s helicopter as he swam toward a perpetually sinking sailboat for the tenth time, a rescue line clenched between his teeth. The film’s ambitious director obviously thought he was the next James Cameron and this shot of Antonio Banderas fighting through the water in the dark would win Oscars all around. Unfortunately it was Hugh doing the swimming, not Banderas.

People imagined the ocean off the coast of Southern California was warm and cozy. Maybe by August it would be, even at this time of night. But this was still June, and a cool June at that. Plus the chopper blades added a windchill factor Hugh didn’t care to think about.

Normally he loved his job, but he had to admit his favorite stunts involved leaping from cliffs and crashing through windows. He was in this profession strictly for the adrenaline rush, and there was nothing scary about this current gig. Nobody would let him drown as he rescued the six actors on board the sailboat.

So instead of the stimulation he craved, he was stuck with boredom and exhaustion. On top of that, he really wanted to catch the eight o’clock plane out of LAX in the morning so he could get a jump start on his weekend in Rhode Island. Attending Stuart and Kim’s wedding would be great, but the real draw was spending time with his twin brother Harry, who was Stuart’s best man. It had been way too long between visits.

Plus he could use a few days off. He could really use a few days off. Another salty wave smacked him in the face, and he vowed this tenth take would be golden. Calling on his reserves, he put on a burst of speed that the director had to love. He made it to the partly submerged sailboat and secured the line quickly, determined that this time the director wouldn’t yell cut as he had nine times before.

The cameras rolled. Hugh lifted his arms to the first passenger, an eight-year-old kid with a bright future in the film industry. The kid leaped into his arms, his fingernail gouging Hugh’s forehead in the process. Hugh didn’t even flinch as he grabbed the line and started hauling the kid back to the pitching yacht that was designated as the rescue boat. The cameras kept on rolling. Thank God. Maybe he’d make that plane, after all.

1

LATE AGAIN.

An old boyfriend had accused Kate of using habitual lateness to add drama to her life. She’d dumped the boyfriend in a fit of righteous indignation, but secretly she’d thought he’d nailed her motivation. Nothing got the adrenaline pumping like running fifteen minutes behind.

Heading out of Providence on the 95 toward the airport in Warwick, her Miata convertible’s top down and the radio blaring, Kate cruised on that adrenaline rush. June marked the beginning of good convertible weather in Rhode Island, and she loved driving with the wind in her hair, weaving her little red car in and out of traffic, making every second count.

In no time she’d exited the interstate and was approaching the airport. She wasn’t worried about successfully completing this afternoon’s errand, anyway. She had a picture of Harry Armstrong in her purse, so if she missed him coming from the gate area, she’d nab him somewhere in the terminal. Hunting him down would be more exciting than standing around waiting for him to show up, anyway.

And look at that. A space near the terminal opened up like magic in the crowded parking lot. Kate whipped her car into the slot and switched off the ignition. Rummaging in her large purse, she found her comb, ran it through her short hair and checked her makeup in the rearview mirror.

After she dropped her comb back in her purse, she picked up her compact Nikon and made sure it was loaded. Taking glam photos in the studio paid the rent, but lately she’d had a thing for candid shots, from the hilarious to the highly dramatic. It was only a sideline—a hobby, really. She hadn’t even shown her growing file of pictures to anyone. But these days she never went anywhere without a loaded camera.

After locking the car, she adjusted her wide purse strap across her chest and headed toward the pair of one-way streets separating the lot from the terminal. She’d always loved this airport. Inside the building, clearly visible through the windows, was a large sailboat in dry dock, as if to announce to the world that this had been a seaport long before air travel was even invented.

She crossed the street at a jog, whisked through the automatic door and ran up the moving escalator, all the while keeping her eyes peeled for Harry. With regret she nixed the idea of grabbing a quick iced latte. Something about airports always made her want coffee.

As she searched the passengers streaming out of the gate area, she fantasized that she was a CIA operative on the lookout for a double agent who resembled Harry. Judging from his picture, he’d make a fine double agent—thick dark hair, square jaw and James Bond-blue eyes. Definitely a good choice for the best man in her sister Kim’s wedding, especially considering that Kate was the maid of honor, so she’d be hanging out with Harry for the next few days. Still, she’d decided not to get her hopes up about him.

No doubt he’d turn out to be a typical urban male with a well-paying job, a late-model Volvo and a cell phone. A decent guy. Well, she craved excitement more than decency. Unfortunately, she couldn’t seem to meet exciting men.

Men like her grandfather, for example. During World War II, Grandpa Charles left a wife and two young sons to enlist because he wanted to make the world a safer place for vulnerable young families like his. In a rain-drenched foxhole in France, he’d thrown himself on a grenade, sacrificing himself to save others. His incredible act of bravery gave Kate goose bumps.

Now that was the kind of man she wanted—except one that would not actually die. So far, nobody she knew personally had exhibited the sort of bravery modeled by Grandpa Charlie. She had little hope that Harry would, either.

Her mother, however, might decide Harry was Good Husband Material and try to matchmake. Now that Kim was getting married, the pressure would be on for Kate to do the same. After all, they were twins. A couple of days ago their mother had confessed her disappointment that Kate hadn’t found anyone yet, because she’d always imagined a double wedding.

Kim and Kate had exchanged a twin-to-twin look that required no words. They’d both fought to keep from cracking up as they pictured their mother trying to dress them alike, one last time.

They hadn’t been through that torture since their older brother Nick’s eighth-grade graduation. After shredding those little green dresses with garden shears and threatening to do the same to any subsequent matching outfits, they’d been grounded for a month. But their mom had gotten the message.

Digging in her purse for the picture of Harry, Kate scanned the faces of the arriving passengers. She didn’t really need to look at the picture again. She had a good eye for faces. Still, she glanced at it one more time.

He really was a cutie. She vaguely remembered he was some kind of doctor. Yes, definitely a doctor. Kim had said he and Stuart had gone through med school together. He was tall, Stuart had said—easy to spot in a crowd. Kate paused to study the crowd hurrying by. Then she saw him.

Damn, he was more of a hottie in the flesh than in the snapshot Stuart had given her. But the poor guy appeared to be exhausted. He wore jeans, a white T-shirt and a denim jacket, which made him look more like a rock star than a doctor.

The shadow of a beard covering his sculpted jaw indicated he’d had no time to shave before racing for the plane, and she wondered if he’d been at the hospital all night tending to a patient. That was pretty noble, come to think of it. Maybe Harry would fit her criteria better than she’d imagined.

He trudged through the terminal, a leather garment bag hanging from one broad shoulder by a wide carrying strap. When she hadn’t been waiting to meet him, he’d probably assumed he’d have to take a taxi to the hotel. Remorse pricked her. Here she’d been playing tardiness games and he looked ready to drop.

“Over here, Harry!” she called, waving her arm in the air as she dodged through the throng to intercept him.

He didn’t glance her way.

For a moment she wondered if she’d made a mistake. No, that was him for sure. Training in portrait photography had made her acutely aware of the arch of an eyebrow, the curve of a lip. That man was Harry. Maybe he was too tired to pay attention to his surroundings.

She should have been on time so that she could have met him as soon as he’d cleared security. But she’d make it up to him, poor man. She’d give him the VIP treatment for the rest of the day.

Stepping in front of him, she put a hand on his arm. The denim of his jacket was surprisingly soft. Expensive denim, she decided. “Sorry I’m late.”

He looked startled, as if coming out of a daze.

Her conscience nagged her again for giving this guy additional grief and she smiled in apology. “I should have been here earlier. I’m Kate Cooper, Kim’s twin sister. Stuart and Kim asked me to pick you up.”

“Oh!” His expression cleared and he looked pleasantly surprised. “That’s great. I didn’t think anybody—”

“I know, and I feel terrible that I wasn’t on time.” Looking into those weary blue eyes, she just knew he’d been up all night. His voice was a little rusty, too. But it was a nice voice, a deep baritone that probably comforted his patients. She glanced at the garment bag. “Do you have more luggage?”

“Nope, this is it.”

“Good. Then we can head straight to my car.”

“Sounds good to me.” He fell into step beside her.

“Stuart would have been here himself, except something important came up.”

“I wouldn’t doubt that. After all, the guy’s getting married day after tomorrow.”

“Well, that’s exactly the trouble.” She noticed that he’d matched his pace to hers and gave him points for that. Some tall guys took off with ground-eating strides that left her in the dust. So maybe he was considerate, besides being yummy to look at.

“Kim and Stuart are having trouble?” he asked.

“No, no, not that kind.” Kate really liked the sound of his voice. “They just became a bit overwhelmed by all the commotion. My parents flew in from Florida, and my brother Nick came yesterday, and even my cousins Clint and Maureen arrived this morning. Stuart’s mom is here with her new husband, and then Stuart’s dad showed up with his new wife, and Stuart’s two sisters have their hands full dealing with that. Anyway, there’s all sorts of socializing and family intrigue, and Kim and Stuart weren’t getting enough time alone with each other.”

“Hmm.”

Kate ushered him out of the terminal, and each of them paused to put on sunglasses. His wire-framed aviators made him look even more like a star on vacation than a doctor soon to be the best man in a wedding. So far this assignment of hers was beyond excellent. She could hardly wait to motor into Newport with this piece of eye candy in her passenger seat.

“My car’s down this way,” she said. “It’s not far, but if you want to wait here I could bring it around.”

“Do I look that feeble?”

She doubted there was a single feeble bone in his finely tuned body. Most MDs she’d met weren’t this muscular. “No, but you look that tired.”

His smile was wry, and adorably dimpled. “Well, I’m not that tired. Lead the way.”

“Okay.” Mmm. Great smile on this guy. “It’s right down here. The red Miata.”

“Sweet ride.”

“I like it.” Then she remembered how tall he was. “You might be a little cramped, though. Maybe I should have borrowed my cousin’s—”

“Good grief. From the way you’re worrying about me, I must look like something the cat dragged in.”

If she had a cat, it could drag in a specimen like Harry any day of the week. “Not at all,” she said, unlocking her trunk and shoving her suitcase aside. Not knowing what she’d be asked to transport down to Newport the next day, she’d decided to pack some clothes for herself and leave the suitcase at the inn where she’d be staying along with the rest of the wedding party.

That included Harry, of course, which was becoming an increasingly nice thought. “I’m guessing you haven’t had much rest in the past twenty-four hours.”

“You’re right. I haven’t.” He swung the garment bag from his shoulder and settled it in the trunk with a sigh. “I wasn’t even sure I’d make it here.”

“Well, you did, and the good news is that you have tonight to rest up before things get going again tomorrow. Kim and Stuart took the ferry to Block Island and they’re spending the night there by themselves to get their heads on straight before heading into the final stretch.” She closed the trunk and glanced at him to find out how disappointed he was that he wouldn’t be seeing Stuart right away.

He didn’t look disappointed, just bone tired. He nodded. “That makes sense. Good for them.”

Once he started toward the passenger side of the car, she walked around to the driver’s side. “I’ll take you to the inn, and you can just relax there for the evening. No need to get together with any of the family tonight. I think they all planned to go to an outdoor concert, anyway.”

“Relaxing in a cozy inn sounds perfect.”

Kate had already stashed her purse behind the seat and was ready to climb in when she saw a Great Dane sitting at the wheel of a Land Rover parked nearby. The dog looked for all the world as if it could simply turn the key and drive away. The window was down, probably because the owner knew nobody would try to steal the SUV with a huge dog in the front seat.

She had to have the shot. “Can you give me a second?” she asked Harry as she unzipped her purse and pulled out the camera.

“Sure, but—”

“I’ll be right back.” She walked over within range and snapped off a couple of frames. Then she moved to a different angle, shading her lens with her hand. Oh, this was terrific. She talked to the dog, who seemed to be posing for her by putting one hand on the wheel. She stepped closer. This was so wild, so totally—

The blare of the SUV’s horn nearly made her drop the camera as she leaped backward. The darned dog must have slipped and put his paw on the horn. “Don’t do that!” she said to the dog as she edged away, glancing around to see if anybody had noticed.

The dog continued to press the horn. As Kate backed toward her Miata, she began to suspect the dog was trained to honk the horn if anybody came too close. “Okay! I’m leaving!” she called to the dog. “Cut that out!”

Shoving her camera back in her purse, she jumped into the car.

Harry was laughing his head off.

“We’re so outta here,” she muttered, starting the car. “Who trains their dog to honk horns, anyway? Doesn’t anybody use good old car alarms anymore?”

“Guess not,” he said, grinning at her. “So, you’re a photographer, like Kim?”

“Yep.” She backed out and drove toward the exit.

“Freelance?”

“Technically I’m a studio photographer, like Kim. I handle the glamour shots and she’s into kids and pets.”

“What do you mean, technically?”

She hesitated, realizing she’d slipped up by qualifying her statement. When their dad had retired and left his two daughters in charge of the portrait studio he’d built into a fine business, they’d both been thrilled and honored. Kate was still thrilled and honored, except…except she wasn’t having fun with the glamour shots anymore. Been there, done that. Taking the picture of the Great Dane, even with the horn-honking added in, had been fun.

“I guess I meant that’s my main thing,” she said. “But, I’ve started taking candid pictures for the heck of it.”

“Where things aren’t quite so predictable?”

“Right. But studio photography’s rewarding, too. Very rewarding.”

“I’m sure it is.”

She had the oddest feeling that he understood her inner conflict perfectly, yet they barely knew each other. Intrigued by the thought, she glanced over at him. Damn, he was really shoe-horned into her car.

“Is the seat all the way back?” she asked.

He reached for the adjustment. “Uh-huh.”

“Sorry the car’s so small.” She’d been so intent on driving her zippy little convertible on this warm June day that she hadn’t stopped to think about how uncomfortable the car might be for a man who was at least six-three. Kim would have thought of that. Kim wasn’t so focused on pizzazz, which was why she liked family photography so much.

“Kate, after what I’ve been through, it’s minor.”

“I’ll get you to the inn as quick as I can.” While they waited in a line of cars to get past the ticket booth, she switched off the radio. He might like to sleep on the way to Newport, if he could possibly sleep crammed into the seat like that.

As they reached the booth, Harry lifted up slightly from the seat and took his wallet from his hip pocket. “Let me get the parking fee.”

“Absolutely not! It’s bad enough that I was late picking you up.” But in fumbling behind her seat for her purse, she nudged against his very solid body and discovered the close proximity made her breathless, and as uncoordinated as she’d ever been in her life. She should have taken the money out before she’d started the car. Kim would have done that.

The parking attendant cleared her throat.

While Kate was still twisted around digging in her purse for her wallet, Harry reached across her and handed a bill to the attendant.

“Thank you, sir.” The attendant gave him his change.

Kate abandoned the struggle for her wallet and glanced over at him. “Thank you for paying, but you’re making me feel extremely guilty. Let me buy you a drink sometime this weekend.”

He smiled. “I’d like that.”

She pulled away from the booth and slid the car smoothly into traffic, which was a small blessing. As jittery as she was feeling, she didn’t trust her reaction time. The best man had quite a smile on him. Kim and Stuart had said he was a really nice guy. They hadn’t said one word about him being a lady-killer.

That could be explained, of course. Stuart might not say something like that anyway, being a guy, and Kim was so crazy about Stuart she was likely oblivious to every other man on the planet. Still, Kate would have appreciated a warning from someone. The snapshot she’d carried to ID him didn’t begin to capture his animal magnetism.

A more trained photographer—like her, for example—would have nailed it. She’d love to have a chance to try, but she doubted there’d be any time for a formal sitting. Still, she’d become pretty good at getting shots on the fly.

He leaned back, his neck supported by the headrest. “The sun feels great. Sure beats the heck out of swimming through cold water for six hours.”

Kate did a mental double take. “Why were you doing that?”

“I had to pull six people out of a partially submerged sailboat. It took most of the night.”

Her jaw dropped. “That’s…incredible.” It was more than incredible. Not only had he spent the night rescuing people from a shipwreck, he spoke about it as if it were all in a day’s work. A chill ran down her spine. Had she finally found her hero?

“At least it went well. But the helicopter kept getting too low and churning up the water even worse, which made everything tougher. But hey, it’s over. And I made it to Stuart and Kim’s wedding, after all.”

“I’m sure they’re going to really, really appreciate that.” A certified hero was going to be the best man at Kim’s wedding. Hours ago he’d risked his life to save six people, and now he was riding in her car and would be spending the next four days in Providence. She could hardly believe this was happening, but she knew one thing for sure. She planned to make the most of this opportunity.

“I’m glad I could come,” he said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to close my eyes and relax for a little while. I tried to sleep on the plane, but my seat-mate kept trying to have a conversation.”

“I’ll be quiet as a mouse.” Kate was so glad she’d turned off the radio. Taking her foot off the gas, she allowed the car to ease back within the speed limit. She’d drive all the way to Newport in the right lane, letting cars whiz past her. No way was she taking a chance on jostling such precious cargo. “Just rest,” she said to her hero. “I’ll let you know when we get there.”

HUGH ARMSTRONG closed his eyes and gave thanks for this little bit of heaven—riding under a warm sun while sitting next to the prettiest redhead he’d seen in quite a while. Since he was surrounded by glamour every day, that was saying something.

Maybe part of Kate’s appeal was that she wasn’t in the business. She wasn’t trying to parlay her beauty into a starring role, so she could afford to be more casual about her traffic-stopping looks. Or maybe he’d been swept away by the animation on her face and she wasn’t all that gorgeous.

Opening his eyes a fraction, he studied her again. Yeah, she was one-hundred-ten-percent babe. Probably used sunscreen to protect that flawless complexion, especially if she made a habit of driving with the top down. These days he couldn’t tell if a woman’s hair color was real, but in this case he’d guess that it was. She’d adopted the short, breezy style that was so popular, and she had just enough curl to turn those locks into tongues of flame whipped by the wind.

A white knit T-shirt, cropped at the waist, fit like a second skin. Hugh happened to love that look for obvious girl-watching reasons. Her hip-hugger jeans showed off a slice of midriff that made his mouth water. She wore open-toed mules. He couldn’t see them now that her feet were tucked under the dash, but he remembered that her toenails matched her fingernails—both painted a wicked shade of red.

Five gold bracelets jingled on her right arm whenever she turned the wheel, and her hoop earrings were gold, too. She wore several rings, but her left ring finger was conspicuously bare. Good. Soon he’d find out whether or not she was in a relationship. If not, this could be one fine weekend. He closed his eyes again.

Usually he could sleep anywhere, but her sexy perfume kept him on the edge of wakefulness. She hadn’t mentioned Harry. He wondered if sending Kate to the airport had been Harry’s doing. Hugh had left a quick voice mail for Harry right before takeoff, not sure when his brother planned to leave Chicago.

Maybe Harry had picked up the voice mail and relayed Hugh’s arrival time to the Coopers. He might even have suggested Kate for the pickup. Harry knew Hugh’s weakness for green-eyed redheads. So did Stuart, for that matter. They could easily have cooked this up together as a fun surprise.

Hugh thought Harry was supposed to get in today, too, but he could easily have been delayed. That happened a lot with him, because women never seemed to have their babies when they were supposed to.

Hugh understood that kind of topsy-turvy life. If the James Cameron wanna-be had decided the sequence wasn’t good enough, Hugh would have been back in the water tonight getting wrinkled up like a prune again.

Instead he might be able to spend time with Kate Cooper, twin sister of the bride. He sure could use an in-room massage, though, and the inn might not offer that kind of service. He’d seriously overtaxed his muscles retrieving those folks from the boat, and he’d had no time to stretch and recover before heading to the airport. Five hours on a plane had left him stiff and sore.

That could cramp his style, and he wanted to be in top shape, just in case Kate happened to be available and willing to have fun this weekend. If Kim was even half as foxy as Kate, Stuart had done himself proud. Hugh was happy for him, if that’s what Stuart wanted.

Personally, Hugh thought getting married was just asking for trouble. He’d once heard that creating a family meant providing hostages to fate. He couldn’t agree more, and he didn’t want to give fate that kind of power.

Worrying about a wife would be scary enough, but if he ever had kids, somebody might as well shoot him and get it over with. He’d be a mass of nerves if he ever had kids, considering all the dangers they faced these days.

No, he preferred staying free of those kinds of entanglements. Besides, he had a risky job, and he didn’t think a wife and kids should have to live with the knowledge that he might not come home someday.

But the risk was all-important for him. For a few seconds after finishing a stunt, he felt invincible, and the addictive nature of that feeling kept him coming back for more and taking even greater chances. Because of that he was in demand. He’d done a few jobs others had refused.

That didn’t mean he was foolhardy. He kept in shape, and he always expected to come through unscathed. But accidents happened. Timing wasn’t always perfect. Everyone connected to a picture tried to be careful, but they all knew that the danger couldn’t be eliminated. If it could, they’d let the stars perform the stunts themselves.

All in all, he loved his life. It was a glamorous world filled with excitement and beautiful women. Many of them sought the same brief, thrilling affairs that suited his lifestyle and personality. He wasn’t sure about the rules back here in Rhode Island, but he meant to find out. He was free at the moment. If luck was with him, Kate might be, too.